A Retrospective: Important Dates in New York State Golf History

Each month, the NYSGA features historical moments in New York golf history by golf historian Kevin Casey.

A look back at November dates...

November 1, 1880 – Grantland Rice, considered by many as the premier American sportswriter of his day, was born. While best-known for covering football and boxing, Rice’s column in the
spring, 1923 American Golfer magazine noted that the Empire State, with its already-rich golf
traditions, was among very few states that did not have its own golf association or
championship.

The founder and publisher of The American Golfer -- the premier golf magazine in the U.S. at
the time -- was Walter Travis, former U.S. and British Amateur champ and one of the most
important names in the game. The one-two-three combination of Rice’s indignant observation,
Travis’s influence, and the reach of his magazine was enough to get people talking and letters
flying.

A call was made for all of New York state’s 130 clubs to meet that August at Yahnundasis Golf
Club. There, the New York State Golf Association was formed on the spot, and Garden City Golf Club (where Travis and Rice were members) agreed to host the first state championship that October.

The NYSGA exists in large part because of the efforts of Grantland Rice, Walter Travis, and the
American Golfer magazine. Rice and Travis have both been inducted into the World Golf and
the New York State Golf Halls of Fame.

November 18.1991 – Craig Wood, winner of two major championships, was born in Lale Placid.

The original hard-luck golfer, Wood was the first PGA Tour player to lose all four majors in extra holes (1933 British Open, 1934 PGA, 1935 Masters, and 1939 U.S. Open). The narrative
changed in 1941, when he captured his two majors at the 1941 Masters and U.S. Open,
becoming the first golfer to capture the first two legs of the modern Grand Slam in one year.

In 1954, the Lake Placid Golf and Country Club changed its name to the "Craig Wood Golf Club" in honor of its famous native son. Wood was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in
2008.

November 23, 1872 – Donald Ross was born in Dornoch, Scotland. Among the most
celebrated designers of America’s Golden Age of Golf Course Architecture, Ross designed or
redesigned around 400 courses between 1900 and 1948, including storied venues such as
Pinehurst Resort and Seminole Golf Club. Considered one of the finest golf architects in history,

Ross was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977.

Ross is credited with designing or redesigning at least 30 courses in New York, including
Rochester’s Oak Hill (East), often considered his finest design. Other New York state courses
include: The Sagamore Golf Course, Bolton Landing; Chautauqua Golf Club-Lake Course,
Chautauqua; Siwanoy Country Club, Bronxville; North Fork Country Club, Cutchogue; Mark
Twain Golf Course, Elmira; Glens Falls Country Club, Glens Falls; Irondequoit Country
Club, Pittsford; Monroe Golf Club, Pittsford; Brook Lea Country Club, Rochester; Country Club
of Rochester, Brighton; Teugega Country Club, Rome; Bellevue Country Club, Syracuse; Tupper Lake Country Club, Tupper Lake; Country Club of Buffalo, Williamsville; Rip Van Winkle Country Club, Palenville; Thendara Golf Club Front Nine, Thendara; Whippoorwill Club, Armonk; Schroon Lake Municipal Golf Club, Schroon Lake; Lake Pleasant Golf Club, Lake Pleasant.

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Hungry for more? Check out the NYSGA's Centennial Book (1923-2023) here!

or 

Watch the NYSGA Centennial Celebration Video